


Quiet Voices

by orphan_account



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Alex Has Anxiety (Julie and The Phantoms), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bisexual Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Canonical Character Death, Established Relationship, F/M, Luke Patterson Has A Twin, Pansexual Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms), Past Alex/Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms), Protective Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms), Protective Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Reggie Has Bad Parents (Julie and The Phantoms), Reggie Needs a Hug (Julie and The Phantoms)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:14:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26957902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: The 19th July 1995 was meant to change Lilianna Patterson's life, and well it did, just not in the way she expected. Instead of blowing away the crowd with her brother's band, Sunset Curve, Lily finds herself trapped in a dark room for twenty-five-years until one day Julie Molina plays the songs that she helped to write. Now, she must navigate the twenty-first century as a ghost and stop whatever grip she has one the world from being pulled away from her by Caleb Covington. Unfortunately for Lily, things rarely go her way, especially when the boys are involved.
Relationships: Alex & Julie Molina & Luke Patterson & Reggie, Alex & Luke Patterson & Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Alex/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Flynn/Carrie Wilson, Julianna Patterson (OFC)/Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Julie Molina/Luke Patterson, Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 44





	1. Dying In LA

**Author's Note:**

> So, Julie and the Phantoms really took me by surprise, and honestly is completely different to my normal writing but I couldn't get the idea out of my head so here we are. I hope you enjoy!

_‘Death is not the opposite of life,_

_But a part of it.’_

Even before she joined the band, Sunset Curve had been a major part of Lilianna Patterson’s life. It had been a part of her twin’s soul and to some extent a fragment of hers. When the four boys couldn’t decide a name or a logo, Lily had drawn up several hundred different drafts and brainstormed every name she could think of before finding the right one for the boys. Her fingers had been stained with ink, but by the end, Lily had found herself making banners, t-shirts and five identical bracelets for each of them to wear. When Bobby broke his wrist after football, it had been Lily who had grabbed her emerald green guitar and strummed his parts. She’d almost fainted from nerves, but the music and her friends had kept her on track, reminding her of the power that music had. When Luke had forgotten his journal or couldn’t find the right words, Lily had been the one who had brought them to him, writing for hours with him and rehearsing by his side. Each and every song had Luke’s illegible scrawl side by side with Lily’s elegant cursive script.

Sunset Curve had changed her life for good. 

It had brought her ever closer to her twin, pulling them closer and closer to the point where they could practically read each other’s mind. The twins were scarcely apart and their arguments were worked out through song lyrics, which only served to bind them closer together in the end. Lily had been gifted Alex and Bobby, the best friends she could have ever asked for, and two more brothers to watch out for her. Alex had helped her embrace every part of herself while Bobby offered her the encouragement to keep on trying when her anxiety overtook her mind. And Lily had found Reggie, a boy who loved her unconditionally for who she was, in every way. He had become her constant in an ever-changing world, her other half and her soulmate.

Sunset Curve had been a wonderful gift.

But it was also a terrible curse.

Lily had lost so much. Her promising scholarships had been thrown aside when colleges had found out that she played in a rock band and that her ears were littered with piercings. They didn’t care that Lily could have graduated at fifteen, all they saw was a girl desperate for attention and unworthy to be one of them. Men with wandering eyes and grasping fingers had gravitated towards her, their lecherous eyes raking over her entire body. The boys had stopped playing in clubs after several instances of men getting too close and too personal with Lily. And worst of all, it had cost Lily her parents. The Pattersons didn’t approve of their seventeen-year-old son running off with a rock band and they certainly didn’t appreciate their daughter trying to emulate them, so when Luke had left, Lily had followed. Eight months on, Lily still couldn’t stand thinking of her parents crying or her mother’s screams, calling her back.

Sometimes she regretted it.

But Lily wouldn’t give up the band.

Not now, not ever.

“Anna, you okay? You seem to be miles away?”

Reggie’s soft voice cut through Lily’s thoughts, pulling her back to the Orpheum’s stage and reminding her of where she was. The bright lights bounced off of Lily’s glasses, and she could feel Reggie’s fingers carding through the curls that made up her usual ponytail, tangling around the braids that ran through it. A soft grin pulled at his lips, and his green eyes sparkled, a familiar sight but a welcome one.

“Just thinking, don’t worry, Reg,” Lily mumbled, her cheek stained at the use of _his_ nickname for her.

Her right leg slipped off of the stage, swinging slowly, following the rhythm that Reggie set with his fingertips. With every brush over her dark curls, her leg swung forward and back once. A year ago the familiarity would have scared her, but now it felt right, especially when Reggie’s fingers traced the delicate chain around her neck, the one he’d bought her. Lily shivered in his lap, her hazel eyes fluttering closed when the bassist moved to run his dexterous fingers over her temples.

“Oh no, not thinking. Nothing ever ends well when you start thinking.” Reggie said his grin widening. Lily didn’t need to look up to know what it looked like. His dimples were on full display and his teeth on show. She could even hear the twitch of the left side of his mouth moving upwards and his head tilting to the side.

Cracking open her eyes, she peered up at him behind her thick frames and mumbled: “Go to Hell.”

“You wound me, Lils,” Reggie smirked, his right hand flying over his heart, the old signet ring sparkling in the garish light.

Rolling her eyes, Lily propped herself upwards and moved back to sit fully in his lap. One arm snaked around her waist, pulling her by her green flannel. Two grins softened into something more tender and Lily cupped Reggie’s cheek in her left hand, her four bracelets rubbing against his skin. Watching him lean into her embrace, Lily whispered: “Love you.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Reggie smiled, shaking his head before meeting her halfway for a tender kiss. 

It was short and brief, and something Lily had experienced a million times before, but still, her heart fluttered in her chest. Her right hand fell over Reggie’s heart, which hammered beneath the leather jacket, matching the beat of her own. Strands of his thick raven hair tickled her forehead and he smiled against her lips before pulling away. Hazel eyes met green and Reggie whispered: “Love you too.”

With Alex setting up his drums and the other boys off somewhere else, Lily took a moment to take in her boyfriend’s appearance, enjoying their moment alone. His ever-present leather jacket and necklace were in place, the chains on the jacket clicking softly as he moved. Beneath the leather, his favourite flannel, and incidentally, Lily’s favourite, rested the red drawing away from the black of his jacket and jeans and brought the eyes to the brilliant white t-shirt he wore. In many ways, Reggie’s clothes both matched and contrasted with her own, and Lily couldn’t help but love that. Where he wore leather, Lily’s jacket was a faded blue, a memory of home. While Reggie favoured red, Lily’s buttoned-up shirt was black and green while her jeans were grey and her boots black. Even her necklace contrasted, the black and silver guitar pick glimmering in the light, but since it had once been Reggie’s it seemed to fit. She’d never tell him, but Lily adored how they always seemed to be in sync and for a moment she revelled in staring at him.

“Fuck!”

Three heads whipped to the side in unison, greeted by the sight of Luke Patterson storming in, his face flushed, his hands clenched and his hazel eyes dark. Reggie gulped and tightened his grip on Lily’s waist pulling her closer. In turn, the youngest member of their group stayed frozen, staring up at her brother, eyes wide.

“Language, Lucas, honestly.” Alex chided from behind his drums.

“Should we get up and go to them?” Reggie asked, his breath tickling Lily’s ears.

“And miss the ensuing chaos of whatever happened?” Lily raised an eyebrow. Both knew it was safer to let Luke vent to his ex-boyfriend than getting involved straight away before the lead singer could calm down. Besides, judging by Reggie’s smirk, he too wanted to watch Luke stress out for a moment before getting involved. That and both of them had the sense not to get in the line of fire when the singer was angry.

“Bobby’s quit, Alex!” Luke cried out, pulling everyone from their light-hearted daze. “We can’t perform! The ‘fuck’ was warranted.”

“What are we going to do?” Alex asked, wringing his hands together. 

Reggie rolled his eyes slowly, casting his head over his shoulder and looked between the two boys. Both had begun to pace, the drum kit separating them. Every so often they would open their mouths to say something but nothing came out. Sighing softly, the bassist kissed his girlfriend’s temple before turning to the other boys and said: “Something tells me that you are forgetting our back up rhythm guitarist.”

“Wait, what?!” Both asked, eyes wide and confused.

“I am invisible to you?” Lily asked, shaking her head.

Luke’s eyes lit up. In several long strides, he crossed the stage and crouched down by Lily and Reggie, grinning. His eyes flickered back to Alex and he grinned: “That could work.” The other two nodded in agreement and Luke turned his gaze back to his twin and asked: “Have I ever told you how much I love you, Lils?”

“Only when you want me to do something for you,” Lily said, shaking her head and beaming. Luke looked as if he was about to turn away, but Lily stopped him, adding: “I get the Queen top though to perform in.”

“Isn’t that a bit revealing?” Luke asked, more than aware that half of his shirts were barely classed as decent on him, let alone on his little sister. 

“Dude, I’d wear a flannel too, you moron. I don’t want any more unnecessary attention.” Lily pointed out, checking her eyebrow up and waiting for him to agree. As always, he paused for a moment before nodding. Lily’s smile only broadened and she asked: “Help me up?”

Far more gently than anyone would have suspected, Luke hauled his sister up, keeping her upright until she gained balance before dropping her hand, relief still cascading over his features. Behind them, Reggie pushed himself upright, standing up and wrapping an arm around Lily again. To anyone else, Reggie’s constant need to touch her would have been irritating but Lily had seen his home life and had also run away from home, and always found his arm around her as much comfort as he did.

“Try not to get too distracted by me, babe,” Reggie smirked, winking.

Shaking her head, Lily laughed. Her eyes fluttering upwards to meet his gaze and matching his smirk, she said: “You’re the one who needs to listen to that advice, Reg.”

“And God I know it,” Reggie mumbled, grinning and bowing his head to kiss her softly.

“Gross, man, that’s my twin,” Luke complained.

The couple separated, turning to see their lead singer staring at them, disgust twisting over his features. Lily honestly thought he’d be used to the sight by now, but judging by the look on her brother’s face, clearly not. Then again Luke still had his older brother complex despite over a year of Lily dating Reggie. It still made her smile to think about it, and Lily couldn’t deny that she loved annoying Luke.

“Why do you think I let him do it?” Lily asked, grinning and pecking Reggie’s lips once more. Luke let out a groan of disgust and went to speak but his twin cut him off. “Plus I had to watch you make out Alex twenty-four-seven for three months.”

“I’m so glad I’m gay,” Alex mumbled, grinning and blushing.

“I bet you are!” Luke smirked, grabbing Alex’s hand and squeezing it.

For a moment, Alex looked as if he might pass out as old emotions came flooding back, but the drummer righted himself and squeezed Luke’s hand back before dropping it. Hazel eyes met soft jade for a moment, and a fond smile was mirrored on each of the boys’ lips before Luke turned away. The singer glanced between his best friends and twin, his eyes sweeping over them and he said: “Come on, let’s get this show on the road.”

Lily had barely slipped on her green guitar and taken her place by Bobby’s, no her, microphone when Alex started drumming and called out:

_1, 2, 3!_

Grinning at them all, Luke strummed away, hopping about as he sang. Lily had scarcely seen him this alive since December, and couldn’t help but laugh when he spun around again and again, his fingers, pic and mouth moving at an alarming rate. Then again, they were all moving at an alarming rate.

_Take off, last stop_

_Countdown till we blast open the top_

_Face first, full charge_

_Electric hammer to the heart_

The boys’ smiles were contagious and all the nerves that had begun to flutter in Lily’s stomach melted away as the music soared around her. Alex beamed over at her, his head moving to his music and the beat of his drums. Lily turned to face him and thrilled in his giddy excitement for a few brief seconds before she was forced to turn to her mic, the words flying from her lips filling the stage as the boys sang with her.

_Clocks move forward_

_But we don’t get older, no_

_Kept on climbing_

_Till our stars collided_

Luke stepped forward, his eyes meeting his twin’s and for a moment both let their pics fly over their strings. Both competed with one another to make the music bounce off of the walls and ricochet through the minds of those already gathered there. Luke looked away after a few seconds, almost reluctantly turning to sing, annoyed not to have outshone his twin.

_And all the times we fell behind_

_Were just the keys to paradise_

Not that he was singing alone for long. Jumping from foot to foot the other two guitarists returned to sing while Alex’s lips graced his microphone again.

_Don’t look down_

Luke belted out every line, the others singing with him, their eyes closed and their hearts beating to the music. The four friends just let themselves be embraced by what they had created, not caring that by the end of the night they’d have likely screamed themselves hoarse.

_Cause we’re still rising (up right now)_

_And even if we (hit the ground)_

_We’ll still fly_

_Keep dreaming like we’ll live forever_

_But live like it’s now or never_

The lyrics paused for a moment, and the three guitarists hopped about, jumping up and down with both Reggie and Lily leaping up to Alex’s platform, grinning. Sweat beaded over their foreheads and for a moment, they grinned at their best friend before exchanging and wink and landing back beside Luke.

_Hear the noise, in my head_

_It’s calling out like a voice I can’t forget_

_One life, no regrets_

_Catch up, got no time to catch my breath_

Once more, Lily rushed forward, singing alongside her boys, beaming into her mic. Chipped black nail varnish skimmed over the emerald guitar and in those few precious minutes, Lily couldn’t help but be glad that Bobby had abandoned them. They were at the Orpheum and even if she died that night, she would die happy, she was sure.

_Clocks move faster_

_Cause it’s all we’re after now, oh_

_Won’t stop climbing_

_Cause this is our time, yeah_

Reggie jumped and twirled, moving from his mic as Luke screamed down his own, coming to play beside his girlfriend. The couple grinned at one another, keeping the microphone between them, listening to Luke sing.

_When all the days felt black and white_

_Those were the best shades of my life_

Lily could feel every word Reggie sang to her, their eyes sparkling and their hearts racing with every second that passed. Her mouth dropped open when he reached over, strumming her guitar with her before returning to his bass, and carrying on singing the pre-chorus.

_Don’t look down_

_‘Cause we’re still rising up right now_

Biting her lip, Lily flushed and looked away from Reggie, catching her twin smirking and falling ever further into the song, enjoying every minute of it.

_And even if we hit the ground_

_We’ll still fly_

_Keep dreaming like we’ll live forever_

_But live it like it’s now or never_

Alex’s voice cut through the stage, the drummer soaring to the music and owing every second. His friends grinned, their eyes sparkling and their feet moving with every lyric he sang, easing any worry he had about singing in front of them.

_We ain’t searching for tomorrow_

_‘Cause we got all we need today_

Stepping up to her microphone, Lily closed her eyes and revelled in the feeling, her vice ricocheting around her as her solo lyrics left her lips. Behind her, the boys grinned, clapped and kept on adoring their music. 

_Living on a feeling that’s been running through our veins_

Reggie responded, his eyes never leaving Lily’s. The girl in question bit her lips at the sound of his low voice echoing around them, and she grinned when he winked at her, her cheeks darkening further. One hand moved to sweep his raven locks out of his eyes and he poured his soul out for his solo line.

_We’re the revolution that’s been singing in the rain_

Cutting through the eye contact, Luke spun his guitar around him and all four of them turned back to their non-existent audience, their final chorus falling from their lips. Every single one of them could feel the pull of the song and even in the practically deserted stage, they could see that their words were magnetic. The servers and attendants had paused to watch them finish, their heads moving in time to Alex’s drums.

_Don’t look down_

_‘Cause we’re still rising up right now_

_And even if we hit the ground_

_We’ll still fly_

_Keep dreaming like we’ll live forever_

_But live it like it’s now or never_

_It’s now or never_

_Now or Never._

The last few notes flooded the stage, leaving a long echo behind them. No one here would be forgetting Sunset Curve any time soon, especially not judging by the whoops, cheers and applause that the other people gave them. Wolf whistles, grins and bobbing heads could all be seen from the stage as the four desperately caught their breath. One girl, who was busking tables, yelled especially loud, clapping with gusto.

“Thank you, we’re Sunset Curve,” Reggie called, his face alight with sweat and excitement.

“Tell your friends,” Lily added, between deep breaths.

Pulling away from their microphones, the four performers moved away from their instruments, setting guitars aside while Alex rose up from behind his drums. He hopped off of his platform, swinging an arm around Lily’s shoulders pulling her into a side hug, watching Reggie turn to Luke.

“That’s the tightest we’ve ever played man!” Reggie said, panting and grinning. His pale face was flushed and his dark hair was hanging in his eyes. After accepting a fist bump from Luke, he once again moved the hair out of his gaze.

Still on a high from singing, Luke spun around and around, beaming at the other three before looking back at Reggie and exclaiming: “Wait until tonight, man, when this entire place is packed with record execs!”

Glancing away from the other two boys, Lily smiled up at the blond beside her and said: “Alex, you were smoking.”

“Oh nah, I was just warming up, you guys were the ones on fire.” Alex insisted, pulling away from Lily, blushing and fiddling with his drumsticks, unable to accept the compliment. His eyes remained fixed on the floor, and the other three rolled their eyes at his humility more than used to it by this point.

Smacking Alex’s shoulder lightly, Reggie shook his head and asked: “Can you just own your awesomeness for once?”

“Alright, I was killing it.” Alex nodded, his face shining. Luke beamed, hugging Alex from behind and squeezing him gently. Alex’s smile only increased tenfold and for a brief moment, he clasped a hand over Luke’s before turning to Lily. “And Lils, thank God we have you because no one’s voice harmonises with Reggie’s like yours.”

“Besides, Bobby couldn’t play as well as you,” Luke added, his eyes growing slightly darker, but his pride shone through the fury much brighter than anything else. Releasing Alex, Luke threw his arms around his sister, pulling her close to him and ruffling her ponytail much to Lily’s annoyance.

“Oh, shush guys,” Lily said, blushing.

Luke stepped aside, grinning around and brushed past Reggie who took a step towards his girl, smirking: “Yeah, shush, it’s my turn to compliment her.”

“Reg!” Lily cried out, her eyes widening.

Within seconds she had been scooped up into his arms, his large hand around her waist. Lily couldn’t help but giggle when Reggie spun them around. Her hair flew everywhere, but she didn’t care. All Lily could focus on was Reggie’s emerald eyes and his goofy grin that only broadened when he exclaimed: “You’re wonderful, Anna!” 

Once again, Lily blushed, loving that Reggie was the only one who called her that. Grinning she was about to respond but was cut off by him kissing her soundly. Ignoring the groans her brother and best friend made, Lily cupped Reggie’s cheek with one hand and tangled the other in his silky hair. Their lips moved in tandem until Reggie finally set Lily on the ground, his forehead resting against hers for a moment while they caught their breath.

Under his breath, Reggie muttered: “We should have formed the band with you but if you wait it out long enough, I am sure we can phase Luke out and you can be our new lead.”

“Dude!” Luke cried, shaking his head and pulling his best friend away from his sister to ruffle the girl’s hair once more. All four members of Sunset Curve laughed, throwing their heads back and Luke casually swung his arms over their shoulders. “Okay, well, I’m thinking we fuel up before the show. I’m thinking street dogs?”

“Sure.” Lily nodded.

“Ooh.” Reggie smiled.

“Yes!” Alex shouted, more than ready to eat.

Chuckling to each other, the four of them leapt off of the stage, landing where the crowd would be that night. As Luke and Alex grabbed hoodies and coats, Lily found that Reggie opted to grab her hand instead, interlacing their fingers. Leaning into his embrace, Lily was ready to follow the others out when they were stopped by the girl who had cheered for them earlier. She was still staring at them in awe.

“You guys are really good.” The girl said, her eyes sincere and bright.

“Thank you.” Luke blushed.

Running a hand over her wild curls, the girl added: “I see a lot of bands and have been in a couple myself but I was really feeling it.”

“That’s what we do this for.” Luke nodded, exchanging a glance with his band. All of them beamed back at him, more than happy to accept the girl’s feedback and her praise. He grinned and turned back, adding: “I’m Luke by the way.”

“Hi, I’m Reggie.”

“I’m Lily.” Lily smiled, letting Reggie pull her closer.

“Alex.”

“Nice meeting you guys. I’m Rose.” The girl said.

A light went on behind Reggie’s eyes and with his free hand, he fished inside his bag, pulling out a small CD. Rubbing the cover to clean it of any grim, Reggie handed it to the girl, smiling. “Oh, uh, here’s our demo.”

“And a t-shirt size awesome,” Lily added, grabbing a spare t-shirt from out of Luke’s open backpack.

Rose took both in her hands, running her fingers over the white and black fabric, tracing the Sunset Curve logo before tossing it over her shoulder and copied the action on their demo, though she pocketed that. Glancing back up at them all, she said: “Thanks, I’ll make sure not to wipe the tables down with this one.”

“Oh, good call. Whenever they get wet, they just kinda fall apart in your hands.” Alex nodded, his voice trailing off as he got to the end of his sentence, uncomfortable with everyone staring at him. His eyes fell on the floor and he awkwardly drummed his hands on his legs to a beat none of them knew.

Shaking her head, Lily turned back to Rose and asked: “We’re going for food, wanna join?”

“I can’t but thanks.” Rose shrugged.

“Cool, see you later.” Lily smiled one last time before the boys swept her away. She lingered behind Alex and Luke, keeping her hand in Reggie’s and watching the other two shrug on their jackets. It was a rare sight indeed to see Luke’s arms covered by fabric, but it was far too cold, even though it was already July for him to wear anything less.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Luke cried out, elated.

“The smell of Sunset Boulevard?” Alex asked, cocking his head to the side.

  
“Still smells better than Luke’s socks,” Lily added, stifling the urge to gag.

“Shut up, Lils,” Luke mumbled, his cheeks heating up.

Reggie and Alex grinned, more than used to the twins acting like this by now. They also knew that Lily was right, nothing smelled worse than Luke’s socks. Then again, that might have been because he and Lily were still washing their clothes in a tiny sink in the small studio at the bottom of Bobby’s garden. Not that they’d be staying there for any longer.

Luke pulled the other three out of their thoughts when he said: “And no. It’s what that girl said in there tonight. About our music, all right? It’s like an energy. It connects us with people. They can feel us when we play. I want that connection with everybody.”

“Then we’re gonna need more t-shirts.” Reggie pointed out, knowing that they didn’t have enough for ten people let alone everyone. 

“Looks like you guys will have to help me on that front,” Lily added, her eyes skimming over all three boys.

“You’re going to have to teach us how to sew. You better be patient.” Alex said, scratching the back of his neck, unsure of how Lily would cope if she had to teach them how to sew. He also knew that if his parents found out then he’d never be allowed back home, not that he wanted to return there.

“Have you seen who my twin is? I practically have a degree in patience.” Lily stated, smirking over at Luke.

“Fuck off, Lilianna,” Luke grumbled.

“Not gonna happen, Lucas.” Lily grinned, sticking her tongue out at him, an action he mirrored.

Laughter sprung from the four of them and found themselves throwing their heads back, embracing the new possibilities that would come with this night. Though, first, they wanted street dogs. After all, they’d never had a gig where they hadn’t eaten street dogs beforehand. Lily adored them as did the boys. The guys serving them always made them nice and fresh so that in the cold they steamed.

“Man, I can’t wait until we eat someplace where the condiments aren’t served out of the back of an Oldsmobile,” Alex said, trying to pick up a pickle. Beside him, Lily rolled her eyes and shook her head, lathering ketchup on her hotdog and waiting for the blond drummer. The other boys hurried off to grab seats, but Alex instead turned to the vendor and sheepishly mumbled: “Hey, sorry, I got some pickle juice on your battery cables.”

“No problem. It’ll help with the rust.” The man assured him, grinning.

“That can’t… okay. What?” Alex shook himself, glancing down at Lily.

“No clue, come on.”

The pair walked side by side to the old coach that was practically a second home for them. Lily could just make out two missing person posters behind Luke’s head that looked very familiar. Stepping closer, Lily made out the words: ‘Lucas Mitchell Patterson’ and ‘Lilianna Emily Patterson’. Her heart broke at the sight of them. She’d seen them all over the city and every time her eyes landed on them, Lily couldn’t help but feel guilty. They hadn’t meant to leave but after a month of arguments, neither of the twins could take it anymore and had grabbed their bikes, clothes and money before cycling off.

Shaking herself, Lily found her space in between Reggie and Luke, all but sitting on Reggie’s lap, not that either of them minded that. The leather-wearing boy in question tangled their legs together and offered Lily a tender smile as Alex collapsed onto the sofa on the other side of Luke with a soft huff.

“This is awesome, you guys,” Luke said, his eyes bright.

“You can say that again.” Lily nodded.

“We’re playing the Orpheum! I can’t even count how many bands have played here and then ended up being huge.” Luke said, trying not to shout in elation at the idea of it. Glancing between his three friends, his eyes softened and he added: “We’re going to be legends.” The other three nodded in agreement, grinning and Luke instructed: “Eat up, guys, ‘cause after tonight, everything changes.”

They pressed their hot dogs together like wine glasses before taking a bite. The usual savoury flavour was diluted by something stronger. Lily couldn’t quite make out what it was but judging by the looks on the other’s faces it certainly wasn’t limited to her hot dog. Alex proved that by mumbling: “That’s a new flavour.”

“Chill, man, street dogs haven’t killed us yet,” Reggie replied.

They all took a bite.

And then it hit them.

Burning sensations coursed through their throats, scorching them from the inside out. The boys managed to cough up the little food they’d just consumed but every time Lily tried to, the poison sunk ever closer to their stomach. Beside her, just through the fog, Lily could make out the boys blanching and crouching over. Coughs and splutter followed, first containing bile before blood replaced the alkaline substance. Either way, every cough and retch burned their throats while the seconds dragged on for centuries. They could barely hear someone calling out for an ambulance. 

Lily’s head pounded and she desperately clutched onto Luke and Reggie. Her vision blurred and more and more blood came up with every cough. And the pain coursed through her. Every nerve was in agony and Lily couldn’t hold back the tears flooding her vision. Her ears rang and her head pounded. She could vaguely hear Reggie, Alex and Luke calling out to her but it was as if they were a million miles away.

Blurred vision slowly blackened, until there was nothing but darkness. All Lily could feel was pain and the faint pressure of her boys holding onto her. She barely registered the ‘Annas’, ‘Lils’ and ‘Lilys’ that the boys called out. Everything hurt. Her eyes felt heavy and her heart struggled to keep beating. Unable to see, unable to think and unable to hold on, Lily let go, muttering: ‘I’m sorry’ as the darkness took her.

Luke had been right.

After tonight everything had changed.


	2. Home

_‘We all die._

_The goal isn’t to live forever,_

_The goal is to create something that will.’_

The first thing that Lily noticed when she opened her eyes was that wherever she was happened to be had no light. The room was all but pitch black. There were no windows, no doors and no light switch that she could see. Just never-ending darkness that refused to be broken. Though, despite all of that, she could just about make out the figures of three other people. Lily couldn’t make out who they were nor why they were here but their presence calmed her nerves ever so slightly. Unable to help herself, she found that her eyes naturally gravitated to them, taking in their forms.

One was hunched over in the corner, holding his stomach, his scruffy hair ruffled and his face hidden. After a few moments of Lily staring at him, the figure pulled his knees up, looping his arms around them. Lily couldn’t help but think of Luke. Whenever he was stressed, he would sit just like that, often on the kitchen counter or on the wall by their studio. She couldn’t see the man’s features, but Lily silently hoped that it was Luke. If she just didn’t focus too hard of the figure, she could pretend it was her brother, and that would be what she’d do.

Turning away, Lily’s eyes were drawn to the sniffling man on the other side of the room. His face was in his hands, though Lily guessed that beneath them the skin was blotchy and stained. He’d been crying for as long as he’d been here, and Lily doubted he would stop any time soon. His legs were crossed and his back was straight, despite the sobbing, much like Alex sat when he couldn’t handle his anxiety. Lily’s heart went out for him, and she wanted to go to him, but fear and confusion kept her quiet and still.

Unable to handle looking at him for any longer, she let her eyes wander to the guy beside her trapped in the corner. Her heart pounded. Lily could have recognised him anywhere, especially when they were that close. He was shaking, much like the other two and had folded himself up into a ball, his eyes fixed on the ground like Reggie did when his parents started arguing. Hope soared inside of Lily’s chest and she spared a glance back at the other two boys, a soft smile forming.

“Luke? Reggie? Alex?” Lily whispered into the darkness.

“Anna?” Reggie asked, his breath tickling her face as he turned to her.

“Guys?” Luke breathed out, moving his head to look up at them, hopeful.

Four pairs of eyes met in the gloom. They didn’t exactly smile, but fond looks could be made out and within seconds, Alex and Luke had shuffled round to join Reggie and Lily by their wall. Alex sandwiched himself beside Lily, looping his arms around her and pulling her close. Automatically she held onto him and let Reggie lean against her while Luke grasped her hand. For a brief moment, Lily found herself reminded of icy December nights in Bobby’s studio huddled up with the boys. Alex was shivering rough for her to almost picture it.

“W-where a-are w-we?” Alex sniffled, breaking Lily away from her daydream before it even started.

Shuffling closer to him, Lily rested her head on Alex’s shoulder. His soft blond hair tickled her forehead, a gentle reminder of that at least in this black room they had each other. Alex’s arm wound its way around her shoulder, pulling her close to him, just like he always did with her or with his sister Jess. The realisation hit Lily. She was lucky. Luke was with her, but Alex would never see Jess again and Reggie would never hold his two little brothers. Alex’s tears had already resonated with her, but at those thoughts Lily found herself tightening her grip on the drummer, ignoring the stains forming on her top.

“The afterlife, I guess,” Luke mumbled into the darkness.

“O-oh.”

And that was it, all it took to sink in.

They were dead, well and truly. This wasn’t some stomach bug that they could get over in a matter of days or a cold that would leave them sniffling for a week at most. It wasn’t even being kicked out by parents who thought that what made you who you were was sinful or parents so blinded by their fury that they had no idea that their eldest child wasn’t living at home. This wasn’t even running away from home to live in the basement of a now ex-band member’s studio. Those worries were temporary, but this was irreversible, permanent and something that they would never heal from.

There was no stopping the tears that fell silently from Lily’s hazel eyes, her mascara running down her cheeks. Her body shook with Alex’s while her hand tightened on Luke’s, pulling him closer to her. Reggie didn’t need prompting. His arms snaked around her waist, pulling her over to him and tangling their legs together. Reggie’s breath fanned out across Lily’s neck for a few moments before he pressed butterfly kisses to her skin, hoping to comfort her.

Lily didn’t know how long that sat like that in the room, maybe hours, maybe days or maybe even years. Time seemed to work differently here. All she knew was that her boys were with her, holding her tightly and refusing to let go. That was all she needed for now. She ignored the fact that Luke’s hands were cold or that Alex had no heartbeat or that Reggie only breathed every so often as a reflex. Lily pushed aside the fact that only crushing blackness surrounded her or the fact that they were trapped in the tiny dark room. She even neglected to remind herself that this was it, that there would never be anything more than crying in this room.

Until suddenly it wasn’t.

Music filled her ears, strange and yet so familiar, comforting her and calling out. Beside her the boys’ raised their heads, hopeful eyes searching for a source as winds rose up around them, swirling and clawing at their bodies, a cacophony of sound battering their ears and deafening them. Silence turned to a crescendo in seconds before she felt something in her stomach. It was as if someone had looped a hook through her navel and was dragging her forward. Alex slipped from her grasp, then Luke before Reggie tangled himself so tightly around her that they couldn’t be separated.

And then they were falling.

The winds rushed up around them, roaring in their ears while shades of black and dark grey blurred before their eyes. Lily buried her head in Reggie’s neck but another jolt to her navel snapped her head back and her eyes opened. All around her, darkness began to bleed colour. First, it was only a few splashes, a hint of red, a brush of green and a splattering of purple before the blackness began to mix in with the colour. Light burned at their eyes, but none of them could look away. After so long without colour, they were bewitched by the mere glimpse of it, let alone the long strikes of every single conceivable ray of visible light. They were so transfixed that they didn’t notice the ground that they slammed into until impact.

With an almighty thud, they crumpled into a heap, their bodies colliding with solid concrete. Low groans left their lips at the sudden loss of motion, though, they all noted in the back of their minds, there was no pain with the fall. Luke and Alex had landed on top of each other while Lily and Reggie had crashed on their sides, their bodies beyond intertwined. The four were so lost in the sensation that they didn’t hear the soft gasp behind them.

Luke was the first to find his feet, helping Alex up before untangling his sister from Reggie and pulling her to his side, his arms enfolding around her. Reggie and Alex smiled softly, watching the siblings embrace for several minutes before Luke pulled away and glanced around. His eyes lit up instantly. Grinning, the singer glanced between his friends and exclaimed: “Whoa! How did we get back here?”

Someone screamed.

Spinning around, the four of them came face to face with a girl, who was perhaps an inch or two shorter than Lily. Curly hair, bright eyes and a buttery yellow jumper met their gazes and within half a second the four found themselves screaming too. Luke jumped about, clinging to everyone and anyone beside him, pulling his friends close. Alex shrieked, hiding behind his ex while Lily stood there frozen. Reggie all but leapt into Luke’s arms, his voice high and shrill. The girl took one last look at them, her mouth still wide and her chest still heaving with fear before she spun on her heel, running out of the studio and far away from them.

The four ghosts barely had a second to register her leaving before the world once more began to blur and spin. Colours mixed; reds ran into blues forming purple while streaks of green permeated yellow and orange. Splatters of gold and silver sparkled here and there while the ground beneath them shook threatening to give way. Lily’s hands shot out to grab out onto Reggie and Luke, who, in turn, grabbed Alex with their spare hands, facing the tornado of colour together.

Yet, as fast as it began, it ended.

“Are you still here… whatever you are?” Julie asked, dragging them back down to Earth. “I know I saw something. I’m not crazy.”

With a soft thud, the ghosts once more landed on the ground of their old studio. Luke stood in front of his bandmates, allowing Alex to hide behind him. Reggie pulled Lily to the side, keeping her partially behind him, much like he’d once done with his siblings. The three ghosts lingering near the doors found themselves staring at their friend as the lead singer took a step forward towards the girl.

“Well, we’re all a little crazy.”

The girl screamed.

Four figures recoiled, their eyes wide but instead of joining in with her, they winced and Alex cried out: “Oh my God! Please stop screaming!”

The girl stopped screaming. In front of her, she brandished a cross, holding it out between herself and the four intruders. Even Luke paused, and Lily took the time to eye up the girl slowly, taking her in. She had to be two years younger than the four of them, but there was a sadness to her eyes that Lily recognised. Her clothes on the other hand looked like a pick-and-mix of fabrics and styles that Lily could barely recognise. Then again, the older girl mused, she hardly wore fashion-forward clothing, especially since most of her shirts belonged to the boys.

Shaking her head, Lily tucked herself back into Reggie’s side, welcoming the warmth of his arm over her shoulder and the pressure of their entwined hands. The boy beside her squeezed his fingers against her skin, both seeking and taking comfort from the girl in his arms. The normalcy gave Lily a few seconds of bliss before she tuned back into her reality and listened to the fifteen-year-old speak up for the first time.

“Who are you and what are you doing in my mum’s studio?” she demanded, looking between them. Behind her thick glasses, the young girl glowered at them, not impressed by their presence.

“Your mum’s studio? This is _our_ studio.” Luke insisted, shaking his head and stepping forward.

“Slash temporary home from all the times that we’ve all ran away from home,” Lily muttered to herself, but in the quiet room, her voice carried, echoing around the room.

In front of her, Luke turned around, his eyes narrowing at his twin, though he didn’t look too angry, and he shook his head at her, saying: “Shut up, Lils.” 

Rolling his eyes, Luke turned back to the younger girl, attempting to smile at her, though it turned out more of a grimace than a smile. Taking several cautious steps towards her, he almost reached her side before she started following him around with the crucifix. Hazel eyes widened in their sockets and Luke all but yelped, jumping onto the grand piano and rambling: “Now, trust me, the grand piano is new and… and… and… MY COUCH!”

The boy leapt off of the piano and flew onto the couch, his eyes closing in bliss. Four pairs of eyes followed him, unsure of what to make of it. The young girl looked downright scared and confused whereas Luke’s bandmates stared at him in both amusement and annoyance.

“How am I related to him again?” Lily whispered to Alex.

“Unfortunate circumstances.” the drummer mumbled.

“That is definitely not my six-string.” Luke’s voice brought their eyes back to him and Lily found herself following his line of sight, landing on an unfamiliar guitar. Only as her brother pointed it out did Lily start to notice that the studio certainly wasn’t as they had left it.

All the posters, including the massive Sunset Curve banner they’d made together, had been long since removed, and the walls showed no sign of them ever being there. The studio was full of instruments, but none of them was familiar, especially not the grand piano or the various guitars, none of which were the signature colours of the band: blue, green, black and red. Even Alex’s entire drum kit had been moved and the trap door that led to the cellar looked as if it hadn’t been touched in two decades give or take. In fact, besides the layout and the studio itself, the only familiar thing was the etchings on the posts holding up the mezzanine. 

Neatly carved onto the wood, above the rest of them, were Alex’s initials: A.J.L with his full name written beneath it in his delicate scrawl, forever marking that Alexander James Lewis had once lived in this very studio. Just beneath that, in a much messier style, R.F.J. had been looped around the elegant letters of L.E.P, inscribing the memories of the lovers Reginald Francis Jones and Lilianna Emily Patterson who had both left their home lives for something more stable. And finally, Luke’s initials, L.M.P. stared at them, a glaring reminder of what they could have been. Lily was both transfixed and terrified by the marks, grateful that in some way they’d be remembered but horrified that this was all that was left of them.

“Can you give me just one second?” Luke asked, pulling Lily out of her mind as he scrambled past the other girl in the room. She hadn’t heard the singer and kept following him with the cross until he returned to the band, muttering: “Just give me a second. Thank you.”

“I like this girl already,” Lily whispered to Reggie.

“You like anyone who makes your brother mildly agitated, you don’t exactly have high standards.” Alex pointed out, stirring the group away from the human and towards the doors to huddle together.

Ignoring his friends, Luke looked around once more. His eyes wandered over the room, his hazel gaze taking in every tiny detail, his eyes narrowing at every little difference from the flowers to the grand piano to the young teen staring at them. He gulped several times before turning back to his friends and asking quietly: “Guys, what is going on? How did she get her stuff in here so fast?”

Lily tucked herself further into Reggie’s side, breathing in the soft scent of leather and his cologne. His arm tightened around her and he too followed Luke’s eyes around. Lily had barely looked up when Reggie’s eyes lit up and he suggested: “Maybe… maybe she’s a witch. There are chairs floating on the ceiling.”

“Sometimes I question why I am attracted to you,” Lily said, shaking her head and rolling her eyes up at him. Glancing down at her, he pouted and offered her large green puppy eyes. Lily’s heart melted instantly and she couldn’t help but lean up and kiss his cheek softly, muttering: “And then you do that and I remember why.”

“Okay, anyway, there is no such thing as witches.” Alex shook his head, ignoring the couple in front of him, more than used to their interactions. His eyes darted back and forth between his friends and the human girl in front of the piano, his eyes full of confusion.

“You sure? I used to think there was no such thing as ghosts.” Reggie pointed out.

“He’s got a point.” Lily nodded.

“That’s fair.” Alex shrugged, 

“Okay, so we’re going with witch?” Luke asked, looking between the other three, unsure of what to make of everything. Lily couldn’t help but share her twin’s confusion and uncertainty. There was nothing normal about this, and Lily knew all too well that nothing here would ever be the same again.

“No!” Alex all but yelled, shaking his head.

“And this is the point when I wonder if you have ever actually interacted with a woman.” Lily added, shaking her head at her brother.. Luke rolled his eyes at her, but Lily ignored him and looked between the boys, adding: “she’s not a witch, she’s just scared.”

“Yeah, so let someone with a softer touch handle this.” Alex nodded, turning around to face the girl again. Lily waited silently behind him, cocking her head to the side. The other teen girl just stared up at the drummer, her eyes wide and fearful, keeping the cross held out in front of her as he shouted: “Why are you in our studio?”

Reflexively, the girl shoved the cross through the drummer’s shoulder. Recoiling, Lily shivered against Reggie’s eyes, unable to look at the girl’s hand in her best friend’s shoulder. Part of her was disgusted by the sight, but most of the knots forming in her stomach focused on the reality that she was a ghost. In that brief second, Lilly couldn’t help but gulp, the horror of her not-so-life sinking in.

“Oh my gosh! How did you do that?” The girl asked.

Shaking his head, Alex turned back to the band and mumbled: “Clearly, you’re not understanding. She doesn’t get it.”

“Move aside,” Lily said, pulling away from Reggie’s arm and stepping past the boys, taking the other girl in. Despite their differences, Lily couldn’t help but feel a strong pull towards the other teen, and smiled softly at her, which only broadened when the other girl mirrored it. The girls both slid their glasses further up their noses, in sync with one another before Lily finally moved in front of the teen, who looked up at her expectantly, her features softening. Taking a breath that she didn’t need, Lily said: “Hey, sorry about this, we’re ghosts okay? We died like a couple of hours ago, I think, honestly, I think we’ve all lost track of time. We’re just four ghosts who are happy to be home, so thanks for the flowers they look beautiful.”

“We’re actually in a band called Sunset Curve.” Luke butted in, ruining the connection forming.

“Tell your friends!” Reggie added, just as clueless.

Both girls turned back to stare at the three boys behind them, their eyebrows arched and their faces indifferent. The human crossed her arms over her chest and the ghost girl rolled her eyes at her closest companions. Glancing back at the human girl, she smiled once more shaking her head at the boys and sighing softly. The other girl seemed to pick up on the silent apology, nodding once before tentatively returning the smile and tucking a stray curl behind her ear. The girls both stepped back, the human ending up closer to the piano and the ghost once more letting Reggie’s arms wrap around her.

“Last night was supposed to be a really big night for us.” Luke said, stepping forward, “It was going to change our lives.”

“I’m, uh… pretty sure it did.” Alex pointed out, motioning to the four teens who had died side by side.

“Yeah in quite a big way,” Lily added, nodding.

Luke sighed, slumping into a slouch, all joy slipping away from him. One look at him told Lily that her twin had yet to accept the fact that he was dead, or perhaps more importantly to Luke, that they hadn’t been able to play the Orpheum. At least at first, that was what she assumed, but when Luke looked back at her, Lily understood just what that realisation had left him thinking about. Over and over, her twin twisted the ring on his left middle finger, a ring that both wore, though Lily’s was smaller, and in that instant, she stopped. Luke’s pain stemmed from something she’d forgotten about in her panic; they had never made up with their parents.

Breaking away from Reggie, Lily placed a tentative hand on Luke’s shoulder. Hazel eyes met their twin and silent conversations flitted between them. Unspoken affectionate poured out between them. Luke instinctively moved to wrap his arm around his sister’s shoulder, pressing a kiss to her temple, grateful that he at least had one family member beside him. As if sensing their thoughts, both Reggie and Alex stepped closer to the twins, joining the hug. Each member of Sunset Curve had both arms around one of their closest friends, and let themselves relax for a moment, forgetting that there was another person there, watching them.

“This is freaking me out.” the human muttered to herself.

Pulling away from each other’s embrace, the four turned their gazes back to the girl, watching her pull a large flat screen out of her pocket. All of them stared at it, their eyes widening and their mouths twisting in confusion. Cocking his head to the side, Luke pointed at the screen and asked: “What is that? What are you doing?” 

“It’s my phone, and I’m looking up Sunset Swerve.” the girl responded, not sparing them a glance.

“Sunset Curve!” The four ghosts chorused together.

The girl glanced up between the four older teens before her and offered them an apologetic smile, her fingers flying over the screen much like Lily’s did whenever she played the piano. The older of the two girls couldn’t help but stare, watching the human’s face morph from utter annoyance to shock. When she lifted her head, Lily knew all too well that the girl was about to inform them that they had died, but it didn’t ease her unease in the slightest. Lily felt worse when the girl finally said: “Whoa, there is a Sunset Curve, and you did die.”

“Glad to know we got that one right,” Lily muttered darkly.

“But not last night. Twenty-five years ago?” the girl added, uncertain.

“What? No. No, no, no, that’s impossible.” Reggie protested, looking between his bandmates, who each mirrored his shock and confusion. Instinctively, Reggie reached out for Lily, needing to feel her in his arms before he glanced back at the younger teen and shook his head. “After Lily died and then the rest of us floated out of the ambulance, all we did was go to that weird dark room where Alex cried.”

“Well… I don’t think… I think we were all pretty upset, okay?” Alex mumbled, his voice rising to a much higher octave.

“Yeah, you just vocalised it for us.” Lily smiled, reaching over to squeeze his forearm.

Brushing the hair out of his eyes, Luke looked between his chosen family and the human girl, the gears in his brain turning slowly. Taking in the sight of Reggie with both his arms around Lily’s waist and his head on her shoulder while Alex clutched onto the hand Lily had offered him. Every cell in Luke’s body ached to protect them and to figure out what had happened. Turning back to the other girl, Luke said: “But that was just for like an hour. We just showed up here.”

“Look. I’m just telling you what my phone says. See? You died in 1995 when you were all seventeen. It’s now 2020.” Julie said, sighing and holding out her phone, both dates displayed for the band to see.

“So this is the future?” Reggie asked, his eyes lighting up.

“Looks quite bleak.” Lily countered.

“Wait, so… so it has been twenty-five years?” Alex asked frantically, looking between all of them, his free hand shaking and his lip wobbling. Looking between the bandmates gathered around him, he added: “I have been CRYING for twenty-five years? How is that possible?”

“Well, you’re a very emotional person.” Reggie guessed, shrugging and noting how Alex’s voice kept on climbing octaves. He also noted the glimmer of tears in Alex’s eyes again, all of them had.

“I am not!” Alex protested.

“Thought you were afraid to come out here.”

Five sets of eyes turned to the door to see a small boy walking into the studio. Judging by his dark curls, caramel skin and smile, this boy had to be the girl’s younger brother. His light-hearted smile twisted into a smirk and he glanced around, his eyes sweeping over the four band members, but not registering them. Grinning, he turned to his sister and asked: “You talking to your ghost friend? How does he look? Is he hideous?”

“Ahh, he must be able to see you, Luke.” Lily quipped, grinning.

“Shut the fuck up, Lily.” Luke snapped, rolling his eyes.

“Language, honestly,” Alex said, shaking his head at the twins.

“No, he can’t see you.” The girl snapped at them, silencing their quiet debate and glowering at them. Even though she could do them no harm, Sunset Curve retreated away from her, gulping slowly. The girl seemed happy with that development and turned back to her brother, shaking her head and asking: “What do you want?”

“A normal sister, for starters. Stop being weird and come eat.” The boy said, looking her up and down once before retreating to the stone steps leading up to the house.

His footsteps had long since faded before the girl turned back to the ghosts and whispered: “He couldn’t see you.”

“Yeah. I mean, that’s usually how ghosts work.” Alex mumbled.

The other four nodded in agreement, offering the girl meek smiles and apologetic looks. They had no idea what to say nor did they understand why this girl was different. Lily wanted to put a hand on the girl’s shoulder and tell her that there was an explanation, but there was nothing she could do and there was no way that they could begin to explain any of this. The young teen saved Lily from speaking when she said: “Look, I’m very sorry for what happened to you guys, but this isn’t your studio anymore. You have to leave.” 

Without another look at them, she barged past, her claw slippers stomping across the floor and out of the door. Anger, pain and sorrow rolled off of the girl like clouds billowing out and engulfing her. All Lily wanted to do was reach out and hug her. She wanted to promise the girl that everything would be alright, but she was already halfway out of the studio by now.

“But wait.” 

Four pairs of eyes turned to look at Luke as the girl wheeled around, her eyes narrowed behind her glasses and her arms crossing over her chest. The unimpressed look she’d worn every time she’d looked at Luke was once more cemented on her face, and even the confident singer backed up a minute before he spoke.

“We didn’t get your name.”

“It’s Julie.” the girl snapped.

A soft grin spread across Luke’s lips and his entire face lit up instantly. Offering his hand instinctively, he walked towards her, only stopping when she held the crucifix out once more. Falling back slightly, he kept smiling, scratching the back of his neck and mumbled: “Cool, I’m Luke and this is-”

“Reggie, hi.” the bassist smiled, waving at her.

“Alex.” the drummer said, holding up one of his drumsticks and offering her a tentative grin.

“Lily.” the older girl added, stepping forward and beaming at Julie.

Once more, the girls locked eyes. Dark hazel met chocolaty brown and behind both sets of thick, black-rimmed glasses a spark of understanding flashed. They may have looked as different as night and day with Lily dressed in green, grey and black while Julie wore light blue, yellow and gold, but they seemed to sense something deeper within each other. Julie could see Lily’s fear behind her confidence and Lily knew that behind her angry, anxious exterior, Julie was both scared and excited about what was about to happen next, but that something was holding that excitement back. Something or someone, just like Lily had once experienced, and at that thought, the ghost girl swore to herself that she would help this girl.

“Ta-da.” Luke’s voice cut through the moment.

“Okay?” Julie mumbled, shrugging. She spared one last look at the group, her eyes flitting to Lily one last time before she turned away from them and headed up the steps to her home.

Around her, Lily could hear the boys moving about, beginning to take in the studio that had once been their home, but Lily found herself rooted to the spot. She’d stood in the spot a million times before, and had looked up at the house, though back then it had been Bobby’s. All the lights were on, and Lily could just make out Julie’s family gathering together for their meal. Her stomach clenched at the thought and she turned away, watching the boys run around, looking over the small studio. The bitter feelings faded instantly, and she smiled softly. This was her family, and this was her home. Casting one last look over her shoulder, Lily brushed aside all her negative feelings and smiled at Julie’s family before heading back into their studio.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - Hi, I am sorry that this chapter took so long to write. I am currently at university, studying chemistry (which unfortunately isn't the study of the connection between Luke and everyone he sings with), so my time has to be centred around that and I am writing this as a relief between my lectures hence why the chapters take so long to write. I hope you enjoy them all the same and thank you so much for reading.


	3. Leave A Light On

_‘The song ended,_

_But the melody lived on.’_

The first time that Lily had set foot in the studio at the bottom of the garden that had once belonged to the Wilson Family, she had been ten years old. Luke had been partnered with Bobby, Alex and Reggie for some project in history, and Bobby was the only one who had a perfect space for the rowdy boys to work without bothering anyone’s parents. She could still remember her wonder at the studio, which was well over half the size of the small bungalow that was the Patterson House. Lily had found the boys in the centre of the room, decidedly not doing History, but instead all playing their instruments, trying to find a song that they all knew. Lily had hung back by the door watching them find the one song they could all play: We Will Rock You. She hadn’t been able to stop herself from singing along with the boys and from that point on the space had become theirs and theirs alone.

Most of her major life events in her seventeen-years of her short life had happened in that small space. She’d come here after getting her eleven piercings, needing a place to hide from her mother and her aunt Catherine. In the end, the boys and her Aunt Bianca had found her, and when she’d next been allowed to leave her house, Lily had found herself being presented with multiple sets of earrings by the boys. Lily could remember running to the studio when she was fifteen after the girls at school had teased her for not having had her first kiss. She'd found Alex there, angrily whaling on the drums before he came out to her in this space and admitted to not having kissed anyone either. They’d made a pact over the painted concrete never to tell the others what had happened there and by the time the three others had arrived, the pair had painted the new Sunset Curve logo with rainbow accents.

After her Aunt Bianca, her favourite person in the world had died in that car accident during the summer after that kiss, Lily had curled up on _‘Luke’s’_ couch sobbing until Bobby found her and wrapped her up in an ancient blanket. He refused to leave until she’d smiled once more. That couch had seen many memories. Many times she’d curled up on it, watching the boys perform or helping Luke write as well as cuddling up with the boys playing card games (and winning them). Her first kiss with Reggie had happened there on the last day of that summer. It had been soft, slow and sweet, a hint of things to come and every time she’d looked at the dark leather for a week she’d flushed scarlet, much to Reggie’s delight.

Later, when times had grown hard, the studio had become her sanctuary, a place to hide when things got hard. When she’d lost all her summer placements thanks to her Aunt Catherine when she was sixteen, Lily had hidden in the basement of the studio until her parents had finally, after several hours, come to find her. Every time that she and Reggie had fought, Lily had crawled up to the mezzanine and written until both of them plucked up the courage to apologise for their actions. Most prominently, when her mother, aunt and father had pushed her over the edge, the studio had become her temporary home with Luke. With Bobby’s help, they’d brought flatpack beds and mattresses down through the trapdoor to the basement, setting up a tiny living space that Reggie and Alex would come to live in with them. And on her last day alive, she had woken up in this very room. 

And now, she was living here again.

Luke had utilised his puppy eyes on Julie and well, after a few minutes, despite the four of disrupting her meal, the four had managed to get the teen to let them stay in their old home. Though, Lily suspected that it had mainly been to plicate the four ghosts or to stop the kicked puppy look that Luke had perfected. Or perhaps, Julie wanted someone or something to occupy the space that her mother had once adored. Lily couldn’t blame her for that. She knew all too well what it was like to be lonely and to need to fill a space with life, or at least music.

Julie had barely let them thank her though, unable to get past the absurdity of the situation she’d found herself in and despite wanting to go after her, Lily knew better than to do so. She’d reluctantly found herself retreating into the warm glow of the ancient buildings, her boys by her side. But now, the room seemed colder, the life they’d once filled it with having faded away a long time ago. The boys hadn’t stayed long, not with Luke impatiently dragging them towards the doors. They’d paused only to see if she’d follow them, but Lily had shaken her head and turned away.

She needed to be alone right now.

As the boys faded away from the studio, the lights had flickered off. The entire room was bathed in darkness, a black blanket covering the instruments, flowers and all manner of mess. The only light was the stream of silver rays filtering down from the high window above the mezzanine that pooled at the very centre of the room, hiding all else. Dust floated through the silvery beam, undisturbed and yet so restless. Lily couldn’t help but reach out a hand, wanting to see if she could force the particles to change their path. Even though she could see her skin glooming in the silvery light and could feel the tiniest hint of heat, there was no sign of movement from the dust save from the steady up and down movement that had always been there. Lily’s heart sunk. Julie had told them all that they were dead, that they’d been dead for twenty-five years and she could even remember dying, but the sight of the world moving on without her stung more than she cared to admit.

Jerking her hand away, Lily spun on her heel, her eyes running over the dark space until they landed on the trapdoor behind the piano. Her footsteps echoed through the studio and she soon found herself crouching down, her hand running over the metal ring pull. At first, her hand went through the ring, unable to so much as feel it. Once, twice, three times her hand passed through the metal. 

A heavy sigh left Lily’s lips. Her eyes narrowed behind her thick black frames, and a lock of dark hair escaped the tight confines of her ponytail, brushing against her nose. Furiously, she forced the piece of hair behind her left ear before turning her sights back to the trapdoor. Glaring at the offending metal pull, Lily wrenched for it, her mind barely comprehending when the familiar creak of the hinges echoed through the room. Hazel eyes widened and Lily glanced back at the wooden surface, which now stood diagonally over the wooden dais behind the grand piano, revealing the room beneath. A grin found its way onto her lips and with ease, Lily leant over the entrance to the basement, her fingers finding the switch by the ladder.

Warm orange light filled the room and with a grace that she had not previously possessed, Lily climbed down the ladder, her feet landing on the soft grey carpet beneath. Keeping her back to the room and closing her eyes, she allowed herself a minute to soak up what little warmth she could from the chain of fairy lights looping around the room. Lily opened her eyes and turned around.

The room was the same as she had left it.

A soft smile etched its way onto her lips. Tears beaded up in her eyes and Lily didn’t have the willpower to stop them from falling, blurring her vision. A hand frantically pushed them aside, not that Lily could remember thinking about it. Her eyes and her mind were far too focused on the room in front of her.

On the east and west walls, four beds had been haphazardly assembled. Luke and Alex had claimed the west wall, their beds still unmade while their tiny bedside table was still covered in pieces of paper, Luke’s journal and several cans of deodorant, most missing their caps. Alex’s bed was covered in a black and white flannel duvet, shoved up at the end of the bed, thrown off in a hurry, while Luke’s blue covers were still piled up on the floor. Above their beds, much like above her own and Reggie’s, where the missing person posters that had been plastered across LA. Other posters, mostly of Queen, covered the deep grey walls on the west wall and above the red duvet of Reggie’s bed on the east wall. Lily, on the other hand, had pinned up pictures of them all, and a periodic table or two. Even now, all of the boys bled music. Their clothes harked back to the rock bands they were obsessed with; their belongings were all covered in treble clefs and all of them had left out their journals of lyrics.

But Lily had never been like that.

Sitting down on her bed, Lily looked around, her heart sinking in her chest. In the excitement of their deaths and meeting Julie, Lily had forgotten the crippling loneliness this place had brought with it. She had adored writing with her brother and her friends, but she had thrown away a lot more than they had, or at least someone had done that for her. Music had once just been a hobby until she had nothing else to keep her going. Still, part of her, the part that hadn’t hated wearing those oversized jumpers, yearned for the little substance her life, well death, was lacking. Music was her escape, but chemistry had been her passion.

Rubbing her eyes slowly, the young woman glanced around the room again. Photo albums were piled up high in a far corner and clothes were still strewn across the floor. Twenty-five-years may have passed, but in here, time was well and truly frozen; a pocket of the past just waiting to be gazed upon. Luke’s private journal, the one the boys weren’t allowed to see, and her own were still open on her brother’s bed from that last songwriting session.

Unable to stop herself, Lily gravitated to the two books. They belonged to a set of three, but the black book was the music of Sunset Curve, not the musings of the Patterson twins. Lily’s eyes fell on Luke’s navy book first, her eyes finding _Now or Never_ and _Unsaid Emily._ The former had been his pride and joy, the song he had written in a matter of hours while the latter had taken weeks of tears from both of them to finish. Lily had a copy of that one in her green book, pencilled in her much tidier italic script.

Lily’s fingers traced over the two titles, feeling where her brother had pressed down too hard with his pen before closing the book and setting it back onto Luke’s table. Smiling, she ran her fingers over the etched initials on the front, grinning at Luke’s penmanship before turning away.

Her eyes found her own work.

Lily’s heart stopped.

Four songs poked out from behind the emerald cover. Their titles were all too familiar and all too raw for Lily to look at for too long. Four songs she’d written over those months of solitude locked in this room, and had dedicated to the small bubble that had become her family. Their names had been inked into the paper in the colour she had most associated them with and the date of completion rested just beneath them. Four songs, all finished on the day she had died.

Turning away, Lily gasped for a breath that she didn’t need. Her eyes sparkled behind her thick black frames, but this time she didn’t bother pushing them away. Tears continued to trail down her cheeks as she stepped back towards her bed, her eyes lingering on the bag of clothes beside it. Glancing down, Lily suddenly realised that she’d been stuck in the same clothes for twenty-five long years.

Without a second thought, the woman dived into her bag, brushing away the stray tears and focusing on something more trivial for a moment. _I’ll come back to the songs later_ , she thought, pulling out a black skirt and red top. Soon, she’d replaced the flannel and grey jeans with a simple shoulderless red top that she tucked into her velvet skirt before pulling up black tights. Her fingers found her ponytail and with a sharp tug, she released the dark waves, letting them settle around her shoulders. A soft sigh left her lips, and for a second, just one second, Lily pretended that maybe all of this was a dream.

She wished it was.

She prayed it was.

But she knew in her heart that it wasn’t.

Drawing in a deep breath, Lily closed her eyes and exhaled fully, repeating the action three more times before opening her eyes once more. She blinked rapidly for a moment before brushing her hands down her skirt and turning back to the bed with the notebooks. Her legs trembled with each step and her hands shook when she finally took hold of the four pieces of music, not registering that there should have been a fifth piece. Her eyes ran over the lyrics at the top of each before Lily closed her eyes, pressing her work to her chest and thought of the place she needed to visit.

Once more, that invisible hook tightened around her stomach, dragging and pulling her forward. The earth spun beneath her feet and the wind rose around her, blowing her hair about and making the guitar pic at her neck writhe against her chest. Keeping her eyes closed, Lily let reality fall apart around her and reshape itself. Only when her feet had touched solid ground and the wind had stopped did she open her eyes once more.

St. Mary’s wasn’t the biggest church in LA or even the neighbourhood, but it wasn’t the smallest by far. Its graveyard was even larger. During the day, many families could be seen visiting their loved ones, but here in the darkness, Lily was utterly alone save for the birds and insects nestled in the trees. And the other dead, Lily reminded herself quietly. With a shake of her head, Lily glanced around narrowing her eyes and sharing for her final resting place. Hazel eyes swept over the many grey stones lined up side-by-side, scanning the golden lettering before moving on. It took her several moments to even consider looking down.

And there they were.

Together.

Lily could feel the familiar prickle of tears in her eyes but pushed it aside, kneeling before the first of the four headstones, unsure of what she was seeing. The grave she had landed on wasn’t her own; no, it was Alex’s. Even in the darkness, Lily could make out the sparkling silver the very few sparkling silver letters etched into the black slate. Sparing a glance either side, the young woman bit back her fury when she realised that Alex’s grave barely had much writing on it and with a heavy sigh, she let herself read his epitaph.

_Alexander James Lewis_

_18th December 1997 - 19th July 1995_

_Alex to his friends_   
_Brother, Friend and Drummer_

_‘Gone before his time.’_

A scream of fury lodged itself in her chest, threatening to spill out. Her eyes narrowed and her hair flew about wildly as she shook her head, angry tears spilling from her eyes. Crouching down before the stone, she ran her fingers over his name, tracing the words slowly, trying to absorb them. Lily couldn’t help but feel a wrench in her heart at the absence of one keyword, one which she knew would be on both her boyfriend’s grave and on her brother’s. It should have been the first thing on the grave, and its absence was another reminder of why all four of them had ended up running away. That word was so simple and yet the lack of its presence held a truly ungodly power.

Son.

Although he wasn’t there to see it, Lily’s heart went out to Alex and she whispered: “you’re a lot more than that, Lex.” Her fingers kept tracing over his name before she added softly: “They didn’t deserve you as they son, not the other way around. You are so wonderful, and they never saw you for who you truly were, I guess. I wish I could have changed their minds about all of it, but you didn’t die unloved, I promise.”

Her words ran across the stone surface, brightening the inky colour and breathing life into the utterly lifeless being. Lily knew she was seeing things, but she couldn’t help but believe that she watched the grave let out a soft whimper, almost a sob. Maybe she’d just spent too long with Alex in that dark room, but for a fraction of a second, she heard him cry from beneath her. Her tears joined in with him, splashing onto the hard ground beneath her feet and permeating it. One by one, they’d soon reach the coffin six feet below, falling onto its muddied surface like drops of rain.

Shaking her head in a bid to fight back her thoughts, Lily pulled out the first song, holding it out to the grave. A gentle smile pulled at her lips and quietly, she said: “I wrote a song for all of you, well more than one, but I figured that maybe we each deserved to have one with us forever.” With a sniffle, she placed it beneath the empty vase and muttered: “It’s called Take Me To Church. I hoped you’d appreciate it and maybe one day I’ll play it for you.” 

Rising slowly, Lily placed a hand on the grave, mildly surprised to feel the cool surface under her palm. She didn’t dwell on it for long though, closing her eyes and muttering: “Ceneri alle ceneri. Polvere alla polvere. Terra a terra. Possano dimenticare i nostri nomi, ma ricorda che i nostri cuori erano buoni e puri.”

The Italian fell off her lips with ease, the soft prayer sounding more tender in the language. She had always favoured both her Italian family on her mother’s side and her French family on her father’s, growing up fluent in both languages. However, when it came to prayer and lullabies, Italian was the one she most often gravitated towards. At that moment, standing above Alex’s mortal remains, it felt fitting to speak them over the harsher English of her homeland.

Squeezing her hand around the stone, Lily moved on, her eyes falling upon the next grave, which stood by its twin, closer together than any other in the cemetery. Even before she read the engraving, Lily knew that it belonged to Luke. She knew it in her very soul and her tears seemed only to fall faster when she once more knelt.

_Lucas Mitchell Patterson_

_27th June 1978 - 19th July_

_Luke to his friends and family_   
_Beloved Son, Caring Brother, Great Friend,_   
_Passionate Artist and a Good Man_

_‘Life is for the Living. Death is for the Dead._   
_Let life be like music and death a note unsaid.’_

A tortured sob wrenched itself from her lips. Over and over, Lily traced Luke’s name, committing the feeling to memory, her eyes closing as she did so. Luke had watched her die, she knew that but reading his name like this felt almost as painful. Her heart clenched and she felt as though someone had kicked her in the stomach hard. She’d never expected to read her twin’s name on a gravestone. Part of her almost regretted coming here, but when she opened her eyes again and reread the quote her parents had left for Luke, Lily was glad she had done so. At least one of them knew that their parents had never given up on them, and maybe, after they got used to this whole ghost thing, Lily would show Luke and the boys they weren’t forgotten.

Glancing down, Lily found that Luke’s vase was not empty like Alex’s one. Instead, it was full to the brim with white roses, their mother’s favourite flower, and dispersed with lilies, their father’s favourite. The white of the petals shone against the grey of his headstone, illuminating it and bringing out the soft silver words that he would be remembered by. It took a lot more energy though Lily to move it, and she barely had time to slip the piece of music beneath the vase before her hands fell through it.

“I wrote your song when we ran away and when you were the only person who believed in me. I guess it’s sort of my _‘Unsaid Emily’_ for you, Luke.” Lily informed the stone, the memory of writing her last song for their mother all too raw even now, but she knew that Luke would value the sentiment. _Brother_ much like their mother’s song bore her soul for him to hear and spoke the words she was too afraid and embarrassed to tell him.

Lily stumbled to her feet once more, almost falling over and barely able to see through the thick blanket of tears clouding her vision. Several seconds were needed before she finally managed to place her hand over Luke’s remains, once more feeling the stone beneath and whispering into the darkness. Only this time, the recipient of her words would have been able to understand her had he been there. “Cenere alla cenere. Polvere alla polvere. Terra a terra. La vita va avanti senza di noi, ma non siamo dimenticati, mio caro fratello.”

Her left hand reached up to wipe away the tears once more, and she smiled down at Luke. Bile rose in her throat burning away at her insides, and for a second she was unsure if she could continue. Her stomach swirled and knotted. Lily wanted to curl up and cry; she wanted to hug her boys and make them promise to never leave her; and more than anything she wanted to be alive.

Shaking her head, she took in a large gulp of air and straightened up. She had gotten this far, and Lily was determined to see this through. She blinked several times, running her hand over her own grave, but not pausing to look at it first, instead moving to stop beside Reggie’s final resting place. Of all the headstones, Reggie’s was the smallest and scruffiest. Like Alex’s, it looked as if no one had brought flowers in years and there wasn’t even a vase in front of it, just a small hole at the base where someone, most likely his younger brother’s, Harry and George, had left some of his old guitar pics. Lily was already sobbing by the time that she moved to look at his epitaph, suddenly able to understand how Alex had managed to cry for the past twenty-five years.

_Reginald Francis Jones_

_15th September 1977 - 19th July 1995_

_Son, Brother, Friend and Artist_

_‘The earth has music for those who listen.’_

“Do you reckon they finally stopped long enough to realise what they had lost? You once told me that even if you died they wouldn’t notice you, they didn’t when you were alive, I remember that, but maybe they do now, somewhere.” Lily muttered, sitting down in front of the reddish stone, unable to move her eyes from the shimmering letters that marked out the dates of Reggie’s birth and death.

Bringing her knees close to her chest, she just stared at the headstone, barely even registering it. Several times, her eyes fluttered shut and after a few moments, she quietly confessed to him: “I don’t even know why I came here. I mean we’re all still together, for eternity probably, but I needed to see it I guess, I needed to see what we lost and what we will gain. I doubt you three will ever come here, but I will. I need to, otherwise who will remember us? I don’t want to be forgotten, not now, not after everything we threw away.” 

Shaking her head, Lily sighed and shrugged at the grave, half expecting it to understand and respond. When it didn’t, she closed her eyes, picking out her song for Reggie. Folding it up, Lily said: “I started to write _War Of Hearts_ after that first kiss we shared or at least the melody. I guess I always knew that no one would approve and well, in the end, they certainly didn’t. I don’t think I could have survived without you, Reggie. I guess I can’t help but love you.” 

A soft laugh left her lips before it melted into a quiet sob. Lily deeply regretted coming here alone and she couldn’t help but wish that her boys were holding onto her when she rose for the last time. Instead of placing a hand on the stone, Lily kissed it gently and straightened her back, whispering: “Cenere alla cenere. Polvere alla polvere. Terra a terra. Grazie, amore mio, per avermi aiutato a vivere quando non volevo e per avermi dato la speranza di poter continuare a vivere nella morte.”

It took her more than a couple of minutes to stem the flow of her tears before finally, her eyes fell on her own gravestone. It was almost the same as Luke’s, and part of her wondered why their parents hadn’t buried them together. Her mind might have lingered on that thought for longer had her eyes not fallen to the inscription.

_Lilianna Emily Patterson_

_27th June 1978 - 19th July 1995_

_Lily to those who knew her_

_Anna to the one who loved her most_

_Beloved Daughter, Kind Sister, Loving Friend,_

_Imaginative Dreamer, Brilliant Scientist_

_and a Good Soul_

_‘Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited,_

_whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.’_

“It shouldn’t hurt this much to read it, I mean. I know I’m dead. I’ve known for a while.” Lily murmured, reaching out and tracing her full name over and over. She could feel every crevice and crease in the chisel work, and couldn’t help but revel at the surrealness of it all.

Her eyes fluttered over the words, again and again, committing them to memory until Lily was certain they were burned into her retinas. “Is this all we get reduced to? Some words on a stone? A footnote in history, I guess.”

Shaking her head, she placed her song by her grave, unsure what to make of the fact that her earthly remains were now six foot beneath her feet. Had her mind been clearer, she might have lingered on the absurdity of their situation but instead, she found herself speaking. “Most of my music is for other people, not for me, in many ways, but this one was always for me.” 

Lily couldn’t help but wonder whether her parents would find the songs when they next came to visit. Perhaps they’d see it as a sign to keep living on without them. Maybe they’d realise that the dreams they’d fought so desperately for had been worth chasing. Or perhaps, by then, rain, wind and sun would have forced the words to fade and there would be nothing but blank pages devoid of the words that carried more of her soul in them than the grave she stood in front of did.

Pushing away her thoughts, Lily took one last look at her headstone, brushing aside her tears and making her mind up. Her back straightened and her jaw set. She would make the most of this situation, regardless of what was thrown at her. A smile pulled its way onto her lips and with one last whisper, she vanished from the cemetery, her words carried away by the rising sun dawning over the church, illuminating the four graves.

“Cenere alla cenere. Polvere alla polvere. Terra a terra. Forse questo è solo un nuovo inizio.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N) - I didn't intend for this chapter to be so introspective and kind of miserable but that's sort of how it panned out, I'm sorry about that. I hope you enjoyed it all the same and please let me know what you think!
> 
> Lily's songs for each of the band are:
> 
> Take Me To Church by Hozier for Alex  
> Brother by Kodaline for Luke  
> War Of Hearts by Ruelle for Reggie  
> Lullaby by Nickelback for Lily
> 
> The Italian Translation -
> 
> Alex: 'Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. Earth to Earth. May they forget our names, but remember that our hearts were good and pure.'  
> Luke: 'Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. Earth to Earth. Life goes on without us, but we are not forgotten, my dear brother.'  
> Reggie: 'Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. Earth to Earth. Thank you, my love, for helping me to live when I didn't want to and for giving me the hope of being able to continue living in death.'  
> Lily: 'Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. Earth to Earth. Maybe this is just a new beginning.'
> 
> Thank you for reading and I will try and make the next chapter a bit more cheerful.


End file.
